October Change for Good Partner: AFC Gives Community Fund
October's Change for Good Partner is
AFC Gives Community Fund
The Ashland Food Co-op has been providing support to nonprofits for over two decades. The AFC Gives Community Fund helps us support grassroots programs, respond to emergencies, and fund local projects along with Community Grants. Through the cumulative register donations over the course of this month, shoppers will help support this work in 2023 and beyond.
In 2020, we helped support our community following the devastation of the Almeda Fires.
With funds raised from the Change for Good months, we were able to contribute to these organizations:
MRG Foundation, Rogue Action Center, My Valley, SOEQUITY, UNETE, Jackson County School District #4, SOESD, Maslow Project, Family Nurturing Center, La Clinca, Our Family Farms, Ashland Schools Foundation, Rogue Food Unites, Remake Talent - Holiday Relief Event, Cascade Builders Association, and Rogue Valley Farm to School
In 2022, Ashland Food Co-op made a donation from the Community Fund, along with other co-ops across the nation, to a Disaster Recovery Fund organized by National Co+op Grocers (NCG) Cooperation, Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) and National Co-op Business Association of the United States (NCBA CLUSA) to Co-op Ukraine to support cooperatives impacted by the war in Ukraine.
Here's a look at what projects the 2021 Community Grants supported:
Bee Girl used Community Grant funds to support thousands of local bees by planting flowers in pastures to feed honey bees, native bees, and local livestock.
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Happy Smiles helps students receive free dental health education, dental screenings, and preventive dental services at a local elementary school.
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Bellview Elementary School students building a Hugelkultur to retain water and offer nutrients to the berries that will be planted there later this month.
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“A very nice man with a host of health issues is living in his vehicle. He was out of gas and waiting for his monthly check. He asked our volunteer for a gas card, and when she also offered a Co-op gift card, he broke out in tears and hugged her.” -from St. Vincent De Paul
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Karen Taylor from Rogue Community College facilitates building water swales to divert and maximize rain water and Grange gutter water to plants in the Emerging Futures Network Food Forest.
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Rogue Action Center used Community Grant funds to open a resource and navigation center in Talent where fire recovery staff is meeting with survivors to fill out housing applicants, Oregon rental assistance applications and connecting them to other housing and financial assistance resources.
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‘Hope for the Holidays’ provided ten families, who were survivors of the Almeda Fire, with holiday meals. The wish behind the program was to provide a few comforts of “home” during the cold winter months for families who lost their homes and are still in temporary housing. -from Heart Rising
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Oftentimes, students come to the Asante Ashland Community Hospital School Nurse Program with physical ailments such as headaches, stomach aches, and fatigue requesting medication to alleviate their symptoms, when their symptoms are actually caused by a lack of food or hydration. Having gift cards from the Co-op has given students access to healthy snacks and reduced the need for unnecessary over-the-counter medication administration, while providing an opportunity to educate students regarding the direct relationship between food/nutrition and how they feel.
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Josephine County Food Bank made their first purchase of biodegradable containers. They are “so excited to accomplish their primary goal of feeding people and at the same time relieved that [they] are not contributing plastic to the landfill.”
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Be the Change Rogue used these funds to promote Rogue To Go. Marketing the program has been helpful in reaching a wide audience, both eaters (customers) and eateries (participating restaurants), to help expand Rogue To Go across the Rogue Valley and reduce single use waste for to-go meals.
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Any of Walker Elementary's 225 students who find themselves without a snack at school are able to have a good one, thanks in part to these funds! Walker PTO particularly appreciates the nut-free and gluten free snack options the Co-op stocks, to enable them to feed all Walker students regardless of dietary restrictions.
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Pollinator Project Rogue Valley utilized the funds to put in a 27’ x 18’ seeding area at the Ashland Emergency Food Bank to grow native pollinator plants to share with the community. Assuming success, the plants, and later their seeds, will be shared through plant sales and also garden contributions through their ‘From Fire to Flowers’ program.
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In 2022, AFC Gives has awarded $25,150 to 17 organizations!
Congratulations to these local nonprofit organizations who are receiving funding for their projects:
St Vincent De Paul
La Clinica
Walker PTO
Siskiyou School
Ashland Emergency Food Bank
Consumer Credit Counseling of Southern Oregon
Armadillo Technical Institute
Cascade Girl
Ashland Schools Foundation
Emerging Futures at Bellview Grange
Jackson County Library Foundation
Tish McFadden at Multicultural Association of S.O.
Folk Soul Farm
Ashland Parks Foundation
White Oak Farm & Education Center
Cave Junction Farmers Market
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If you are a local nonprofit interested in future funding from AFC Gives, visit ashlandfood.coop/afcgives to learn more and sign up to receive e-mail notifications when applications open.
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The Community Fund helps AFC Gives support grassroots programs, respond to emergencies, and fund local projects.
What is Change for Good?
The AFC Gives committee focuses on ways that the Co-op community can support local organizations and groups doing important work in the Rogue Valley.
2020 was the first year of Change for Good, a register round-up program to benefit a slate of ten organizations, voted on by Co-op owners, through the cumulative donations of shoppers choosing to round-up their shopping total to the nearest dollar.
From one cent to 99 cents, it all adds up to feeling good about supporting the community.
More Co-op News
A Visit with Rolling Hills
Visit Rolling Hills Farm and learn more about owner Dave Belzberg, who the Ashland Food Co-op is so honored to partner with for more than thirty five years.
A Visit with Magnolia Farms
Visit Magnolia Farms and learn more about owner Elissa Thau, who the Ashland Food Co-op is so honored to partner with for more than twenty years.
A Visit with Emerald Hills
Visit the Emerald Hills Ranch and learn more about this fourth generation ranching family that the Ashland Food Co-op is so proud to partner with for more than twenty years.
A Conversation with Katie Falkenberg, Photographer and Filmmaker
Katie Falkenberg's photography and filmmaking has taken her all over the world, and lucky for us - she's been calling the Rogue Valley home for a couple years now. Exquisitely and harmoniously capturing the world around her, she is documenting not only through the lens but also through her peaceful and loving spirit. Katie reached out to us in hopes of collaborating after falling in love with the co-op soon after moving here.
March Change for Good Recipient: North Mountain Park Nature Center
March's Change for Good Recipient is
North Mountain Park Nature Center,
a division of Ashland Parks and Recreation, that encompasses demonstration gardens, a nature playground, and approximately 14 acres of Natural Area that is managed for wildlife preservation and public education.
February Change for Good Recipient: Ashland High Arts Advocates
January Change for Good Recipient: Rogue Valley Mentoring
Since 2005, Rogue Valley Mentoring (formerly the Rose Circle Mentoring Network) has trained over 500 adults who have mentored over 2,000 youth in our valley; letting young people know that they are not alone. A caring and compassionate ear shows them that they matter, and they they are experts of their own experience.
Coronavirus Preparedness at the Co-op
Update as of March 15th, 2022: Oregon Health Authority no longer requires face coverings to be worn in all public indoor settings.
Shopping Safely & Efficiently
As coronavirus cases increase in Jackson County, the Co-op is taking extra precautions to protect shoppers and employees.
To ensure social distancing in the store, the number of persons allowed in the store at once has been reduced to 50% capacity. Understandably, this may lead to a short wait outside of the store, but please be assured the line moves quickly.
In order to keep the wait as short as possible, here are a few steps you can take to help out:
10 Ways to Shine Your Light in Dark Times
By Allan Weisbard L.C.S.W.
Since 1963, autumn has been a difficult time for me. Two months shy of my 13th birthday I lost my younger brother to cancer, then shortly afterwards, President Kennedy was assassinated.
Masks Required for All In-Store Shoppers
To protect the health of Co-op staff and shoppers, all shoppers and other visitors on Ashland Food Co-op property must wear face coverings over mouth and nose except when dining in an approved area. As of November 11, 2020, face shields will not be permitted unless worn with a mask.
From the Board: Co-ops Look in the Mirror
By Annie Hoy, Board Secretary and Chair of Owner Engagement Committee
Food Co-ops around the nation proudly display signage saying EVERYONE WELCOME. Or they use the slogan, “Anyone can shop. Anyone can join.” But are food co-ops, and other cooperative businesses, walking the walk?
November/December GM Update: Overcoming Challenges
It’s probably already cliche to say “it’s been one heck of a year.” There have been challenges a-plenty for all of us, whether we’re working or shopping at the Co-op - but I’m so proud of how all of us have persevered.
End of year wrap-up on Strategic Energy Management at the Co-op
Hi there. I hope this finds you well. It’s me, Nina Friedman, Strategic Energy Management (SEM) intern for the Ashland Food Co-op. The global and local crises have only devolved into further chaos since we last spoke. As we sit with the reality of coworkers, neighbors, and friends who’ve lost their homes and businesses to the recent fires, and thousands more across the nation losing their loved ones to COVID-19, I imagine many are feeling frozen and powerless to help those that are suffering.